The Mentoring Room - Ask the Working Pros

I am a new user of the site. Apologies if this question is already discussed somewhere on this site – I couldn't find it easily.

I am working on a feature length documentary related to dance and personal growth, for theatrical or broadcast release. My immediate question and quandary has to do with the degree to which I may undermine the ultimate product if I do incremental releases of related products (using some of the footage, for a different audience) prior to completion. It occurs to me that a lot of the footage that I am gathering will be of interest to the specialized audience of dancers who understand this form, and that this audience is different from the broader audience I hope to reach with the end product. So I am thinking about producing and releasing some products in the interim, either through digital download or DVD sales prior to completing the final film. One thing that will distinguished the final film is that there will be a core story arc completely different from the prior releases; also I envision a much broader audience rather than the specialized audience of the prior releases. This is partly an interim funding strategy, partly about creating buzz, and partly just a way of mitigating the artistic frustration of wanting to share footage with the smaller community that will most easily "get" it.

Questions:
- Is this a bad idea?
- How much (or in what circumstances) would this undermine entering the final film in film festivals?
- What are the things I need to avoid?
- Though it would complicate things, and not be 100%, would it be advisable to make a general practice of designating specific clips EITHER for the final film or the interim products but not both?
- Is there a discussion of this dilemma/strategy somewhere on the D-Word site already?

I'm writing out some one page treatments this weekend and wanted to know if there's any specific font I should use for them. I know Courier is the traditional font for screenplays but does this also apply to treatments?

TIA,
Dale

No. I would just try and avoid comic sans :)

Does a documentary live and die by its subject?

No. Helps, though.

Anybody out there recording their own voiceover? Got any microphone recommendations?

I'm a film student and my current set-up (basic though it may be) is a Shure SM57 straight into GarageBand. And I know it isn't ideal, but it's what I've got.

But sometimes a person might be in a position to upgrade. I'm just looking for a good vocal mic. Something in the $200-$400 range.

And if this isn't where a person should post these kinds of questions, I promise to slap my own wrist--just say the word.

In that price range, a Heil PR-40 will give you a nice, fat, clean sound. Much more pleasant than the 57. And, unlike condensors, will be less likely to pick up extraneous sounds, like nearby traffic, since I'm assuming you are recording at your home.

But, if you need a USB microphone, check out the Shure PG42SUB.

In reply to Rick Dillwood's post on Wed 15 Sep 2010 :

That should have been Shure PG42USB.

In reply to Rick Dillwood's post on Thu 16 Sep 2010 :

I know it doesn't cost as much as your target price, but I've had great results with the inexpensive and easy to use Samson CO1U USB mic.

If you want to save some of that $200 – $400.

Quick (not really) question about union dancers in documentaries . . .

I have an extremely small budget to shoot a little documentary about a Canadian ballet company traveling to Israel for the first time since 1975 and Jordan for the first time ever. The logistics of taking an entire ballet company from Winnipeg to the Middle East is quite something . . . as is the financial gamble of such tours for the company.

I have permission from the company to document the tour. The ballet company itself is in no way funding the doc.

Here's where it gets sticky. The dancers at the company are all very eager to participate, but they are all members of The Canadian Actor's Equity Association. Whenever it comes to the dancers being on film the Equity Association's contract defers to ACTRA.

My interest is to document this tour from the point of view of those who are running the show and the dancers who are performing. After a brief conversation with my local ACTRA office this morning I can tell that this isn't going to be easy.

I don't need or intend on having a lot of footage of the dancers actually performing in the ballets they are touring. I am more interested in what goes on behind the scenes . . . For example, while we are there a joint Israeli/Palestinian community centre is being opened and some of the dancers are going to give some free classes to the children there. The dancers would like me to cover this. I would like to cover this. I think ACTRA and Equity is going to want me to pay for this.

I don't have the money to put a company of 28 dancers on ACTRA rates for 3 weeks . . . nor do I feel I would be making a documentary if I did.

Has anyone here ever navigated these sorts of waters before? If so, any advice would be hugely appreciated. Or I might just end up making a documentary about Bob the Production Manager who is in charge of all the lighting and sets and carnets and customs and all of that fun stuff.

Cheers,
James

This is crazy, James. Firstly it's commonly-held assumption that a "documentary film" is synonymous with Hollywood and that the filmmaker is making a pile of money off the people who appear in it. Reality check: the vast majority of documentaries do not make a profit, barely break even if they are lucky. Secondly, unless someone is being asked to perform specially for the film, or an expert is being asked to do some particular research, it is not normal practice to pay those who appear in documentaries. There may be a very small, nominal fee paid to interviewees, but this is mostly symbolic and connected to a release form.

The way you explain your project makes it clear (a) that the dancers are going on tour at the behest of the company, not at your command (b) they are more than willing for you to document them. This is a good start. It seems that the problem lies with the local union office who are almost certainly in the grip of the Hollywood illusion cited above.

Firstly, with the performers agreement, you probably need to go over the heads of the local office and negotiate directly with ACTRA's head office. A brief google (= documentary!) on their website revealed the following clause (below) of a draft agreement with the NFB which seems the right direction for you to explore, especially as the alternative would seem to be abandoning your film entirely. Explain that you're not making a "for profit" concert film but focusing on the work with the children etc.

A2307 Waiver of Minimum fee for Documentary A Performer may voluntarily consent to waive his minimum fee for the inclusion of a performance, interview, or appearance in a Documentary Program, the subject of which is "the making of" the Production in which the Performer has been engaged.

http://www.actra.ca/main/wp-content/uploads/OA-2008-2011-National-Film-Board-Agreement.pdf

Finally, I should point out that I am NOT A LAWYER and that you should make sure you have rock solid legal advice before proceeding with your film.

Fingers crossed that it all works out – keep us posted.

Wow John! What a great find!

Thanks for digging into this a bit. I think you've definitely found something here that I can use as a jumping off point for my future negotiations. This was a wonderful post to wake up to!

Cheers,
James

Well I had a few minutes spare and felt like helping out – The D-Word can't always promise to offer this level of service, though!

For future searches, you could try this ;-)

(PS you don't need to add your name at the end of your post – it's already there at the top)

Oh John . . . That hurts!

Not only have I googled ACTRA documentary, but I've taken the current ACTRA agreement to bed with me three nights running. My hat goes off to you though for finding this gem in minutes where I failed for days.

It's true – finding things can be a real needle in a haystack sometimes.

The main thing is that this temporary setback doesn't present an insurmountable obstacle.

Now am involve in a documentary about labour.
In this documentary I want to follow the life and working state of several workers and try to explore the real condition behind them. I want to look into with camera life of the labors of different sector and level and the reason for their dissatisfaction and possible some remedy on how this could be changed.

This will be a film about their problems and finding the solution from within them.

AS always am very much confusing about its structure.I have very much confusion about editing.So, Seeking help from senior.

How far have you got with the project, Manoj? Have you shot already?

John, I have already shot it.Now am in editing stage.But am facing problem on structure.Seeking brilient idea.

It sounds like you both shot and directed it and are planning to edit it as well, which may well be part of the problem. Is that the case? How much material do you have?

Manoj, here in the U.S. we're all but required to make a fundraising sample before we begin editing our film, usually somewhere between 5 and 15 minutes. We complain like hell, but it actually forces us to think through our story and work out structural issues. And it's a great opportunity to get feedback from others.

Since you're a D-Word member, this discussion actually belongs in the Works in Progress topic (the Mentoring Room is saved for Enthusiasts who have very limited access to the topics). There you'll find many other examples of samples our members are making.

In reply to John Burgan's post on Sun 19 Sep 2010 : John yes! I directed it and plan to edit myself.I have around 150 hour footage.

As Doug suggests, let's take this discussion to the Works in Progress topic

Hello! Maybe it's a bit an offtop, but I wouldn't know where else to ask it, except Mentoring room.
I'm thinking about applying for Documentary Campus Master-school and my question is: what does "self-presentation clip" means? Does it mean a video of myself telling smth about myself, or it should be a video clip of my works, or a trailer of the film with which I'm applying? If smb knows, I would appreciate the suggestions very much. Thanks in advance, Daria Khlestkina

In reply to W. James Meagher's post on Fri 17 Sep 2010 :

James, if you need peer support, Winnipeg should be good. Documentary Organisation of Canada (DOC) is an association of Doc professionals (in the main), that also does a lot of legislation-related lobbying (read: there are lawyers involved). http://docorg.ca/ and here's the link to the Winnipeg chapter http://docorg.ca/en/chapters/winnipeg/about-winnipeg-chapter .... Someone on that list, or known to them, will know to deal with this, what releases you'll need, and similar fiddly things. Nice subject (your film), by the way.